Method of dehydrating and curing tobacco.



GEORGE HILLARD IBEN'T AMIN, OF 'NEW YORK, N. Y.

, METHOD OF DEHYDEATING AND CUBTNG TOBACCO.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GnoRcnI-hLLARn BEN- JAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of Dehydrating and Curing Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

My improved method has for its objects;

first, to remove the major portion of thenormally contained moisture in the tobacco, and second, to develop the color and aromatic properties of the tobacco.

To carry m invention into efiect,'I proceed in the following manner:

The tobacco leaves as taken from the fields, are suspended in a dehydrating or curin apparatus of any suitable description, such or instance as is described in my prior application, Serial No. 854,598 filed August 1st, 1914, and therein sub'ected, first to the action of large volumes 0 heated air (preferably dry air) until the moisture contents of the tobacco have been reduced to a definite amount 71. e., to such an amount as will maintain the cell membranes of the tobacco cells in a condition to permit endosmosis of water should the tobacco be immersed in water at some. subsequent period, but insuflicient to coact with the enzym carried by the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold when stored; and second, to the action of a temperature suflicient to develop the color and aromatic properties of the tobacco without changin the water contents, rupturing the cell wal s, materially altering the chemical characteristics, or producing any considerable volatilization of the ingredients of the tobacco.

In practice, I refer to subject the tobacco to the action 0 large volume, from whi the major portion of the moisture has been removed and heated Specification of Letters Patent.

movinghcurrents' of air of Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed September 28, 1914. Serial Ho. 868,100.

close texture, it may be extended, from which it will be understood that the exact length of time of treatment is dependent upon conditions of the leaf, temperature of the external air, etc. 3 After the treatment at the temperature Stated has been continued for the required "time, that is, for suflicient length of time to take out all water which is easily exuded by exosmotic action, the temperature is raised 5 to between 120140 Fahrenheit, and continued for from two to five hours, do end- 7 ing upon the condition of the leaf. ubsequently the temperature is again raisedto 7 between 140-160" Fahrenheit, or as has previously been stated, until theleaf contains only such an amount of its original moisture as will permit endosmotic action with water, but not permit or give rise to fermentation or mold 1n connection with the enzym present. It will be seen from the above statement, that the method, as far as described, diifers radically from the usual method of drying and curi tobacco, in that, while in appllgo cants met od the enzyms are not used in connection with the water present to create fermentation, in the old methods the are. After the tobacco has been dried to t e extent stated, the temperature to whichit 'is as subjected is increased. This temperature may be applied through the ins'trumentality of still or moving bodies of air having a temperature of between 200225 Fahrenheit, which temperature may be continued for anywhere from two to ten hours, depending u on the character of the tobacco and the co or and flavor which it is desired the tobacco shall'have. The action of the high temperature,'eflects a change'in the essential oils, or otherwise the aromatic ketones, with the effect that the leaf progressively takes a darker shade as the temperature is continued, and. becomes more fragrant. In practlceI have found that if the leaf is subjected simultaneously to the high temperature stated, and also to rays emitted from an electric light (preferably an are light, although incandescent lights may be employed) the conversion of the '105 essential oils and color is more rapid than is the case where the high temperature alone is used.

' In treating very low grade leaves, I have found it advantageous to, combine the old method of operation with that heretofore described, in so far, that the leaf is first air set up a partial fermentation, at which time the leaf is introduced into the drying apparatus and treated as above described.

Among the advantages of the process set forth above as first and second described, is found: When the dried leaf is exposed 'to the humid atmosphere, it will readily absorb, by endosmotic action, a certain amount of water, with the result that the leaf is pliable and may be handled without breaking; whereas, in the old method of treatment, while the leaf will condense upon its surface a certain amount of moisture, it will not endosmotically absorb water within the cell walls, and breaks easily.

In this specification I have used the word dehydration, and I wish it understood that I understand dehydration as differentiated Dehydration exosmotically draws a definite amount of moisture, depending upon the' without rupturing the cell walls or materially altering the chemical characteristics of the body or drying the cell walls to such an extent as to prevent subsequent endosmosis of an external fluid inward through the cell walls, whereas desiccation completely dries the body treated, removing all moisture, destroying the cell structure and putting the body into a condition where subsequent endosmosis is not possible.

In determining the amount of water to be originally taken from the leaf, it is advisable to also determine the amount of water which the leaf will reabsorb from the atmosphere after the process is completed, in order that the total amount of water in the leaf, before storage, shall be less than the theoretical amount (usually about 20% of the original moisture) 'necessary to coact with the enzym present to set up sec-- ondary fermentation or the production of develop the aromatic ketones which are darker in color than the original elements, and so give deeper shades to the leaf as the treatment progresses. The chemistry of the subject is so little developed, that it is quite out of the question to make any more definite statement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of dehydrating and curing tobacco, which consists in subjecting the tobacco to the action of large volumes of highly heated dry air, continued until the moisture content of the tobacco is reduced to such an extent as will maintain the cell membrane of the tobacco in a condition topermit endosmosis with'water, but insufiicient without additional moisture, to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, and simultaneously subjecting the tobacco to the action of the rays of an electric light of sufficient intensity to affect bodies carried by the leaf and develop the color of the leaf and the aromatic properties of such bodies. from desiccation, by the following facts:

2. The method of dehydrating and ouring tobacco, which consists in first subjecting the tobacco to the action of large volumes' of highly heated dry air until the moisture content of the tobacco is reduced to such an extent as will maintain the cell membrane in a condition to permit endosmosis with water, but insufiicient to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, and then subjecting the tobacco to a temperature sutficient to develop the aromatic characteristics of the essential oils of the tobacco and to progres- 'sively change the color of the tobacco.

3. The method of dehydrating andcuring tobacco, which consists in first subjecting the tobacco to the action of large volumes of highlyhe'ated dry air until the moisture content of the tobacco is reduced to such an extent as will maintain the cell membrane in a condition to permit endosmosis with water, but insufiicient to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, and simultaneously subjecting the tobacco to the action of electric light and a temperature sufiicient to develop the aromatic characteristics of the essential oils of the tobacco and to the color of the tobacco.

4. The method of dehydrating and ouring tobacco, which consists in first subjecting the tobacco to the action of large volumes of dry air heated originally to ap- 120 proximately 110? temperature, and then successively increasing the temperature until the moisture content of the tobacco is reduced to such an extent as will maintain the cell membrane in a condition to permit 125 endosmosis with water, but insufiicient to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, then subjecting the tobacco'to approximately 200 temperature to develop the aromatic chnractor- 130 progressively change istics of the essential oils of the tobacco and to progressively change the color of the tobacco.

5. The method of dehydrating and curing'tobacco, which consists in first subjecting the tobacco to the action of approximately tem erature and maintaining said temperature or from one to two hours;

then raising the temperature to approximately and continuing said temperature for from two to five hours; then raising the temperature to approximately ,and continuing said temperature until such time as the original moisture content of the to bacco is so diminished as to permit endosmotic action through the cell membrane but insufiicient to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, then subjecting the tobacco to approximately 200 temperature and continuing said temperature for from two to ten hours, depending upon the character of the tobacco, color and flavor desired, to develop the aromatic characteristics of the essential oils of the tobacco and to progressively change the color of the tobacco.

6. The method of dehydrating and ouring tobacco, which consists in first efiecting large volumes of highly heated dry air until fermentation is stopped and the moisture content of the tobacco reduced to such an extent as will maintain the cell membrane in a condition to permit endosmosis with water, but insufficient to coact with the enzym of the tobacco to produce fermentation or mold, and then subjecting the tobacco to a temperature sufiicient to develop the aromatic characteristics of the essential oils of the tobacco and to progressively change the color of the tobacco.

7. A step in the method of dehydrating and curing tobacco, which consists in subjecting the tobacco to the action of electric light during the time the tobacco is undergoing dehydration and conversion of its essential oils and color changes.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in-the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HI'LLARD BENJAMIN.

DISCLAIMER 1,224,703.Gcorge Hillard Ben'mnin, New York, N. Y. Mm'non or DEHYDRATING AND CURING Tomcco. etent dated May 1, 1917. Disclaimer filed May 4, 1932, by the assignee, Consumers Tobacco Company.

Hereby enters this disclaimer by cancelling from the specification at page 1, lines 103 and 104, the words "light referably an; and by further cancellin at lines 104 and 105, the words alt oug incandescent lights may be employ and by disclaiming as to each of claims 3 and 7, subjecting the tobacco to the action of any kind of electric light except electric are light.

[017W Gazette May 24, 1932.1 

